Our tech gods have spoken.

In the era of digital transformation and innovation, the internet of things (IoT) has carved an express path to prominence. It's an honest-to-goodness phenomenon, heralding the next industrial revolution and untold transformations in the way we live and work. It was recently ranked the most important technology initiative by senior executives, even ahead of artificial intelligence (AI).

It has managed these feats, somehow, while sporting that ridiculous name. Internet of things? The gall.

Not since Mark Zuckerberg's hoodie has a detail seemed so absurd, but so fitting of the moment. Enterprise companies and brands are tripping over themselves to prioritize IoT. Budgets are siphoning into connected devices at an obscene rate. While estimates are only estimates, these devices that already outnumber the human population are expected to multiply next year, and again the year after that.

The internet of things was named in a hurry, but its runaway success is due to the casual hilarity of the concept. Our stuff is communicating. Our things have eyes. To paraphrase the prophet Xzibit-or rather, an Xzibit meme-we heard you like things, so we're putting things in your things.

The name says it all, and is easy enough for a baby to learn. It's not hyperconverged infrastructure, or biometric authentication, it's the internet of things, dude. However silly it all seems, the technology and its implications are as serious as a coronary. Yes the name is ridiculous, but no more so than than people having conversations with their fridges; we accept the name and the proposition in unison, with open arms and appreciation.

It's the stuff of legend, and we're thrilled to cover its continuing rise with a dedicated series on the G2 Research Hub.